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Mizzna Set for Dubai Kahayla Classic

DUBAI - The traditional curtain raiser on Dubai World Cup night, the Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic, sponsored by Emaar, is the only Purebred Arabian race on the card and has been won by some of the very best of the breed in the past.

These include Alanudd and Madjani who both managed three victories in the 2000m feature on the Nad Al Sheba dirt. Being run on the All Weather track for the first time, it has attracted a maximum field of 14 and Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, appears to hold all the aces as he seeks a seventh win in the race since 2001. His retained jockey, Richard Hills, has unsurprisingly elected to ride No Risk Al Maury who has won both his starts in the UAE and both his jockey and the trainer Gill Duffield are seeking fifth victories in the $250,000 feature.

Winner of the first ever race at Meydan in the Purebred Arabian version of the first round of the Al Maktoum Challenge over 1600m, he also won the third round of the Al Maktoum Challenge over Saturday’s course and distance on Super Thursday and Hills sounds confident: “He is very good as he showed in Europe and has only been beaten four times in total. He certainly handles the surface and is an easy horse to ride tactically as he travel so well. He is surely the one they all have to beat.”

He was chased home last time by the same owner’s Kandar Du Falgas who is the choice of Tadhg O’Shea and one of three Shaikh Hamdan-owned runners trained by Doug Watson who said: “We obviously expect good runs from our trio who are all training well but No Risk Al Maury will be hard to beat.”

Julian Smart won this race in 2002, when based in Abu Dhabi, with Nez D’Or. Now in Qatar, he brings over Jaafer who has some good Group 1 form to his name and the trainer said: “It is a valuable prize and he is a nice horse. The surface should not be a problem and hopefully he can run well but it is obviously a tough race.”

With 2009 winner Fryvolous ruled out, it is 2008 heroine Mizzna (who was injured last year) seeks a second win in an attempt to emulate her dam, the remarkable Alanudd. She is trained by Eric Lemartinel as is last Sunday’s Group 1 Emirates Championship winner Shadiyda. The trainer said: “We always planned to give Mizzna a light campaign and this has been her long-term target. She won the National Day Cup nicely and is in good form.

“Shadiyda deserved his win last week but this is tougher over a trip perhaps on the short side.”

Of the remainder, HH The President’s Cup winner Jarnin and Nashwan Al Khalidiah, third in a big race in France on Arc day last year, make most appeal.